Tank-heater



J. E. ALLSATEADT. TANK HEATER.

"/ JEC zzsfea'dt UNITED STATES PATENT GFFCE.

TAN K-HEA'IER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N ov. 22, 1921.

Application filed March 4; 1920. Serial No. 363,358.

To all whomit may concern.' v

Be it known that I, JOHN E. ALLs'rEAD'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hastings, in the county of Adams and State Of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tank-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tank heaters and particularly to heaters for heating the water contained in exposed stock watering troughs, tanks and the like.

The main object of the invention is to provide 'a simple, reliable and eiiicient type of heater which is rapid in its heating action and which is adapted to be swung out of the tank and inverted to enable the fuel ashes to be readily dumped. p

A further object of the invention is to provide a tank heater which is simple of construction, economical of manufacture and installation and in the use of fuel, and insures efficient combustion of the fuel and distribution of heat throughout the body of the water.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through a water tank and water heater embodying my invention, showing fragmentarily in dotted lines the heater swung outward to inverted position.

F ig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, with a portion of the heater cover broken away.

Referring to the drawing, l designates a water containing tank or trough, used for stock watering or other purposes, which tank is open at its top anl includes in its construction a front wall 2. Suitably secured to the wall 2 are spaced uprights S-extending at their upper ends to a suitable point above the level of the top of the tank. fivotally secured at their forward ends, as at 4, to the uprights 3, are supporting bars .'i iXed to and carrying the heater 6.

The heater 6 may be made of oval or other suitable form and of sheet metal or other' suitable material, and comprises a body rigidly fastened at the upper portions of its sides to the bars 5 and adapted for swinging movements with said bars 5 between normal and dumping positions, as hereinafter described. In the normal position 0f the heater, the bars 5 rest at their forward ends upon the upper edge of the wall 2 and extend over the top of the tank, thus supporting the heater 6 in a pendent position within the tank, the heater being submerged in the body of water in the tank and serving to ieat the same to a predetermined temperaure. f

Arranged within the heater body 6 is a grate 7, resting removably upon suitable supports 8. This grate subdivides the interior of the heater into an upper combustion chamber 9 and a lower ash pit or receptacle l0, the grate being adapted to support a body of fuel 1l of suitable character for heating the interior thereof and effecting the heating of the water within the tank to the desired temperature. A cover 12 is pron vided for normally closing the top of the heater, and this cover is providel with an opening 18 for the discharge of the smoke 'and other products of combustion, said opening communicating with a chimney 14; having a controlling damper l5 therein whereby the draft and the discharge of the products of combustion may be regulated. The cover l2 .may be removed whenever it is desired to invert the heater for the discharge of the ashes and other unconsumed particles of fuel, and is placed in position to close the top of the heater when the latter is submerged in the water in the tank for use.

The ash pit l0 communicates at its rear end with the lower end of an air supply conduit or line 16 which extends to the level of the top of the heater and is provided at its upper end with one Vor more air inlet openings controlled by a suitable damper 17, whereby the supply of air to the ash pit for upiiow through the grate may be regulated and controlled as desired. Disposed in the rear portion of the ash pit is an inclined kdeiiector 18 arranged in the path of flow ofthe air entering the same from the flue 16, said deflector serving to deflect the air downward at its point of inlet and cause it to travel upwardly and longitudinally be neath the grate, thus distributing the supply of. air throughout the entire area of the grate. By this means the body of air instead of flowing upward .at the rear of the grate is uniformly distributed throughout the mass of the body of fuel resting on the grate, thus promoting combustion and increasing the efficiency of heating action of the heater.

Water heating pipes or tubes 19 are are ranged within the combustion chamber 9 at a suitable point above the level of the grate 7 and in the path of the flames and heated products of combustion rising therefrom. lThese pipes or tubes rextend from side to side of the heater 6, and open through the side walls thereof, said pipes or tubes thus being in communication with the body of the water in the tank 1 for the dow of the water therethrough. lt will thus be understood that the body of water will be heated both by radiation and the conduction of heat units ,through the wall of the bodyy of the heater, aswell as by the tubes or pipes 19 in the flow of the water therethrough. These tubes or pipes 19 are ar .ranged in an inclined position @ne end of .each tube lying at .a .bisher elet-atiendan .thermen .S0 as .t0 properly provide for the inlet kof the relatively coel water at one end of `the tube and the discharge of the heated water at the opposite end of the tube, resulting in acirculation of the water throughout the tank. By this means of heating the body of water by radiation and conduction from the submerged tank, as well as by the conducting` pipes or tubes, the water contents of the tank may be rapidly heated with the consumption of a minimum .amount of fuel, thus producing a. type of heater whichis simple `of construction adapted.

to be used for heating purposes at a coniparatively low cost. ihe ,tubes or 'pipesV '19 .are arranged in vspaced relation, not only to provide for the upf-low of the products of combustion, but also to permit of the passage of fuel between them in supplying fresh fuel to the grate, and further to lpermit of the discharge of the-ashes and other residue when the heater is inverted for the discharge of the consumed portions of fuel.

Pivotally connected at their rear ends to the sides of the heater 6, near the top thereof, as indicated at 20, are arms 21, which extend forwardly from the pivotal points v2O and outwardly beyond the line ofthe front wall 2 of the tank between the uprights 3, said arms 2 1 being connected at their forward ends by a cross bar orhandle 2 2. The uprights 3 and forwird ends of the arms 21 are provided with openings to receive fastening pins 23, employed for holding the arms 21 in the normal positionshown in Figs. 1 .and 2. ln this position it will be evident that the arms 21 will actas braces or stays coperating with the bars 5, resting at their forward ends on the upper edgeof the wall 2, to stably support the heater o submerged'within the water contained in `the tank. In this position of the heater, and 'upon removal of thecover 12, fresh fuel may be supplied tothe grate to maintain .the .heater operation, and the. Combustion .of the fuel and degree of heat generated Yay be regulated by adjusting the dempers 13 and 17. In practice, it will be understood that the cover '12 may be hinged Vto the heater body to permit it to be conveniently opened and closed, or it may be provided with a suitable opening' therein, and a closure for said opening, whereby fuel maybe introduced without the necessity of removing the cover or of varying its position. lllhen, however, it is desired to discharge the ashes and clean out the heater, this may be readily edected by removing .the fastening pins 23 vand pulling uponthe handle 22 so as to draw the arms 21 forwardly, the .parts 21 and 22 thus forming a bail-handle yand coacting with Abars 5 to Vform a `draft element, whereby the heater 6 may be ole -vated `and Vswung forwardly on the pivot member te to. an inverted '.position, upon removal of the cover 12. ln this-positiou-the ashes and other unconsumed products of combustion will be discharged by gravity upon the floor or inrany other suitable receptacle, after which the heater may be swung. backward into position for further use in the tank and secured in such position by replacing the fastening pins 23, as will be readily understood. As stated, the grate 7 may be made removable to facilitate the ydischarge of the ashes and unconsumed products of Vcnn'bustion if such is necessary, Or it may bev-made int-wo sections ,forfthefpurpose, or the grate bars may be made lsulfieiently .spaced to permit of the discharge of the ashes therethrough withoutthe'necessity of removing .the grate. By however .making the grate removable it will of course be understood that all portions of .the interior of the heater may be reached'and cleaned with greater facility, and provision Y also made for cleaning the air flue and heat-I ing tubes or pipes 19 with a greater degree of ease and convenience.

Having thus fully described my'invention, l claim:

l. In a tank heater, the combination of a water containing tank, a heater pivotally supported therein, andvmeans for swinging the heater outwardly from the tank to an inverted position.

2. ln a tank heater, the combination of a g water containing tank, a heater disposed therein, said heater having heating means therein and water heating tubes extending from `side to side of and through said heater, means for pivotally supporting the heater within the tank, and means for swinging the heater outwardly from the tank toV an inverted position.

3. In a tank heater, the combination of a water containing tank, a heating drum therein, pivotedbracket members supporting the drum, va draft element for swinging the drum externally of the tank to an .in-

verted position, and means for locking said lever mechanism to hold the drum suspended within the tank.

4. In a tank heater, the combination of a tank, a pair of spaced uprights secured to and extending upwardly from the tank, supporting bars pivoted to said uprights, a heating drum carried by said bars and normally submerged in the water contained in the tank, a handle pivoted to the tank and operative for swinging the tank outwardly to an inverted position, and means for locking said handle to the uprghts for cooperation with the supporting bars to hold the drum suspended within the tank.

5. In a tank heater, the combination of a water containing tank, a heater arranged within the tank and comprising a drum open at its top and having a grate therein forming an upper combustion chamber and an ash pit, a down draft air flue communicating with one end of the ash pit, an inclined deflector arranged in such end of the ash pit for deflecting the air against all portions of the underside of the grate, a damper controlling the inux of air to the flue, in clined water heating tubes extending through the combustion chamber from side to side of the drum and opening through the sides of the latter, means for pivotally supporting the drum, and means for swinging the drum on its pivotal support from a pendent position Within the tank to an inverted position outside the tank.

l In testimony whereof I arix my signature.

JOHN E. ALLSTEADT. 

